But upon closer inspection, you can tell the sequences and rows of books in the library’s central hall are actually rows with idols engraved on.

Image: AFP/ Getty Images

There are undoubtedly a couple of records strategically placed across the bookshelves, but they’re jolly few and far between.

Image: AFP/ Getty Images

According to the library’s deputy director Liu Xiufeng, the library has other apartments in which there are usual bookshelves( and are actually fitted with notebooks ), but sovereignties didn’t allow Binhai to keep records in the main hall.

He told AFP that even the books that were on display in depicts were temporary, and soon had to be removed.

The main atrium is only approved for “circulation, sitting, reading and discussion, ” not work storage, authorities have decided.

“There’s quite a big difference between the photos and reality, ” Jiang Xue, a medical student, was quoted by AFP as saying.

People on Chinese social media website Weiboweren’t very impressed either.

“Binhai’s library blueprint is beautiful, but it’s hard to tell which diaries are real and which are counterfeit, ” said one user .

“Most of such is fake books”, says this Weibo user

Image: Du Shen Nu Mo Tou 168/ weibo

“Today I went to the Binhai library that everyone’s talking about. But…most of the books are fake…” another user added.

They shelved the initial plan to have parties access the primary hall’s books.

The six-storey building, which was designed by Dutch architectural firm MVRDV, currently contains 200,000 works.

MVRDV had first planned for the upper bookshelves of the library’s main hall to be accessible via apartments arranged behind the atrium. However, a fast-tracked construction schedule symbolized they were required to abandon the idea.

Nevertheless, parties have flocked down in droves to get a view of the library, with checkouts reportedly having quadrupled since the opening.